Cycling(全英文)

CyclingCompetitiveCyclingTourdeFranceInstructionofCyclingCycling,alsocalledbicyclingorbiking,istheuseofbicyclesfortransport,recreation,orforsport.Personsengagedincyclingarecalledcyclistsorbicyclists.Apartfromordinarytwo-wheeledbicycles,cyclingalsoincludesridingunicycles,tricycles,fourwheelvehicles,andothersimilarhuman-poweredvehicles.IntroductionofCyclingSincethebicyclewasdevelopedintheearly19thcenturyinEurope,peoplearoundtheworldhavebeencycling.Mostpeopleusebicyclesforrecreation,butbeforethe1990s,inthemainlandChinawhichwascalledthekingdomofbicycles,bicycleswerethemaintransportationoftheurbanandruralshorttravel.CyclingforrecreationisverypopularinEurope,andgrowingrapidlyintheUnitedStates.Anyonewithabicyclecangoforaride,butmanyregionshavebicycleclubsthatorganizeweeklyrides.Bothracingbicyclesandmountainbikes(thesturdybicyclesforridingonruggedmountaintrails)areusedforrecreationalrides.AfterWorldWarII,Europeanroadracesandridersbegantodominatecompetitivecycling.DespitearesurgenceofcompetitivecyclingintheUnitedStates,theprofessionalcircuit(环赛)isstilldominatedbyEuropeans.Fast-pacedracingonoutdoortracksthrivesinJapan.CompetitivecyclingbeganinEuropein1868,witharaceattheParcdeSt.Cloud(圣克卢国家公园),France.Bythe1890srecreationalcyclingwasafadintheUnitedStates.InAugust1893,Chicagohostedtheinaugural(创始)worldchampionships,sanctionedbytheInternationalCyclingUnion(国际自行车联盟),theinternationalgoverningbodyforallamateur(非职业的)andprofessionalevents.CompetitiveCyclingCyclingislistedasanofficialeventinthefirstOlympicsin1896,Atpresent,theOlympicGameshavecompetitionsinbothroadandtrackracingforatotalofeightmen’sandwomen’sevents.Themostprestigious(有声望的)roadraceisTourdeFrance,foundedin1903bynewspapereditorHenriDesgrange(亨利德斯格朗吉).Riderscompeteinavarietyofdailystagesatdistancesupto260km(162miles)aroundFrance,overtheAlpsandPyrenees(比利牛斯山),andintoportionsoffiveneighboringcountries.Thewinnerisgenerallyacknowledgedastheworld’sbestcyclist.RoadracessuchastheUnitedStates’TourDePont(环塔桥自行车赛),Italy’sDeItaly(环意大利自行车赛),andSwitzerland’sTourofSwitzerland(环瑞士自行车赛)arepreparatoryracesfortheTourdeFrance.Otherprestigiouseventsaretheclassics,one-daymarathonofabout255km(158miles).ThetopclassicisParis-Roubaix(巴黎-鲁贝),heldinnorthernFrance.OthersincludeItaly’sMilan-SanRemo(米兰-圣雷莫)andBelgium'sHetVolk(佛兰德).EveryJuly,peoplecomefromaroundtheworldtowatchortakepartinFrance’sbiggestsportingevent-theTourdeFrance.Itisthemostfamousmen’sbicycleraceintheworld.AskpeoplefromFrancewhatfamouseventtakesplaceintheircountryinJuly.Manywillpointtoatraditionthatbeganin1903.ThatistheTourdeFrance,athree-week-longbicycleracecoveringover4000kilometres.Crowdsoffanslinethestreetstocheerontheworld’sbestbicycleracers.TourdeFranceTheRaceTheTourdeFranceisanextremelychallengingbicyclerace.Ridersmustbeinexcellentshape.Theraceisdividedintodifferentstages.Insomestages,ridersraceindividually“againsttheclock”.Inmoststages,however,ridersraceagainstoneanother.Somestagesareonflatland,othersareoverhillsandevenmountains.Themixoflandformisonethingthatmakesthisracesodifficult.Oftenridersareespeciallygoodatoneortheother-racingfastonflatland,orclimbingsteepslopes(斜坡).However,thewinneroftheTourdeFrancemustbegoodatboth.Inaddition,hemusthavegreatendurance.Todothisdayafterday,andthewinnerwillbea“he”-sofar,onlymenmaycompeteinthisrace.Racershad2restdaysoutoftherace,theracevariesfrom21to25daysinlengtheachyear.AlthoughonlyoneindividualwinstheTourdeFrance,itisalsoateamrace.About22teamsofriderscomefromaroundtheworldtocompetein2012.Teammatesmayhelpeachother,keepingcompetitorsbehindtheteamleader.Thissometimesmeansthatriderssacrifice(牺牲)theirowntimeinordertohelptheteamleader.Attheendofeachyearoftherace,ayellowjerseyorshirt,isawardedtotheriderwiththefastesttime.Theyellowjerseyisn’tgiventotheriderwhowonthatday’srace,buttotheriderwiththeoverallshortesttimesincetheracebegin.Itiswornbytheleaderofthegeneralindividualtimeclassification.(总成绩领先者)Itiswornbytheleaderofthepointsclassification.Thepointscanbewononintermediatesprintsandatstagefinishes.(冲刺积分领先者)Itiswornbythebestclimber.Pointsforbestclimberclassificationareawardedatthetopofanyclassifiedslope.(爬坡成绩最佳者)Itiswornbythebestyoungrideraged25yearsorlessinthegeneralindividualtimeclassification.TheRouteTheracewindsthroughFranceandneighboringcountries.Theroutechangeseachyear,passingthroughdifferentplaces.Townsontheroutearesuretoreceiveattentionfromjournalists.Theyalsoreceivebusinessfrompeoplewhocometowatchtherace.Atotalofabout12millionpeoplelinethestreetstocheerontheriders.ASeven-timeWinnerInJune2012,theU.S.Anti-DopingAgency(USADA)chargedArmstrongwithhavingusedillicitperformanceenhancingdrugs,andinAugusttheyannouncedalifetimebanfromcompetitionaswellasthestrippingofalltitles.ArmstrongandtheUCI,thesportsgoverningbody,haveuntilOctober31toappealthisdecision.LanceEdwardArmstrongisanAmericanformerprofessionalroadracingcyclist.Aformerworldchampion,heisknownworldwidenotonlyforwinningtheTourdeFrancearecordsevenconsecutivetimesbetweentheyearsof1999and2005,butalsoforcomingbacktowintheraceafterbattli